


Equinox

by supernovainparadise



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: ... Shocking., And was "resurrected" by Kamski as an android, Chloe was Gavin's sister and Elijah's half sister, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Siblings, Gavin Reed Backstory, Gavin Reed Redemption, Hey did anyone order angst?, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Slow Burn, Who is now dead, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-10-27 14:01:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20761517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernovainparadise/pseuds/supernovainparadise
Summary: Equinox:NounThe time or date (twice a year) in which the sun crosses the celestial equator when day and night are of equal length.ORThe time or date (once in a lifetime) that you can find love, especially when you're as jaded as Gavin Reed.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sappy Summary is sappy... Takes place around the Autumnal Equinox, or early to mid-September, in 2039. Won't get too long or out of control, just wanted to write a sappy short-ish fic for this pair because let's face it, they're pretty cute. The first chapter is set up, the second chapter is backstory, and beyond that, I have no idea.

_"Why the fuck would you ever think that this was okay?!" Gavin shouted, shaking with the force of his anger. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"_

_"I-I thought maybe it would help you, to bring her back. I mean, the process helped me a lot with the grief, so I was thinking that-" Elijah started, only to be cut off again by Gavin._

_"No, it doesn't help! She's not- not human. She's a fucking machine that you made for the sick reason of trying to resurrect our dead sister! You're trying to play God, not placate your grief!" Gavin said, clenching his fists._

_"May I interject?" Chloe said, looking over at Gavin, who's jaw clenched and eyes welled up with tears. "Elijah did not intend to cause you any pain, Gavin, merely to perhaps help placate you and rebuild what you consider to be a broken family."_

_"No shit it's broken! This is the exact reason it's fucking broken!" Gavin spun on his heel and turned to look at his brother, who had shrunk back._

_"Gavin, please, all I wanted to do was-"_

_"Fuck you." Gavin hissed, tears slipping down his face. "Fuck. You."_

_And he turned and stormed out of the room, wiping his tears away with a shaking hand._

* * *

Gavin stared absently across the bullpen as Connor and Tina laughed over some bad joke. It had been almost a year since the revolution, and Connor had since been to the police academy and officially worked for the DPD. He'd climbed the ranks quickly, and Gavin was pretty certain he was only one step away from becoming a detective, and (in a way) reinforcing Gavin's original fears that Cyberlife was planning on replacing police officers entirely with androids as well. And yet... He had never seen another RK800. It was just Connor. It made him wonder whether or not there even were any other RK800s out there. He hoped there weren't; one Connor was more than enough.

He huffed and drained the rest of his coffee, which was now a grainy lukewarm cup of caffeine. He pulled a face and tossed the paper cup in the trash. You'd think they'd have transferred to something reusable after almost 30 years of climate change and waste. They hadn't, of course. Too much work, too expensive. Humans hated change.

Gavin wondered if androids were the same.

Gavin stood, stretching up, and approached the pair. Tina and Connor looked up at him, both still smiling. That was one thing he liked about them; they didn't immediately frown or get up and leave when he approached. Although, not too long ago that would have still been the case with Connor. It had taken quite a bit of effort, and a particularly violent case that put Gavin in the hospital for a week to finally get them to be friendly, and longer than that to consider themselves as _friends_. Hard to believe they'd ended up here after so long. And now, looking at that gentle smile on Connor's face, the remnants of his laughter still hanging in the air, Gavin felt something else. A tug in his chest that was becoming all too common.

He'd be lying if he said that feeling didn't scare him.

"Hey, look who's still functioning. Thought you'd be half dead by now, Gav." Tina teased.

"I probably would be if it weren't for that last cup of coffee," Gavin admitted, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck. "About ready to head home for the night though, thank God."

Connor smirked at him. "Too late for you already, Detective? It's only 8 o'clock!" Gavin could practically feel the snark radiating off the android.

Gavin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and I've been here since eight in the morning. Not all of us are high functioning machines."

"A blessing and a curse, honestly," Connor snorted. "While I might be able to function more than you, I also don't get equal pay. Or respect. Or even real rights, or-"

"Okay, you're oppressed! Point taken!" Gavin held his hands up, stopping Connor's flow of words. "Jesus, you think after a fucking revolution or five no one would have to deal with that shit."

"Never thought of you as a sympathizer, Gavin," Tina said, raising an eyebrow at him.

Gavin didn't deign to respond to her and potentially start a fight, simply flipped her off, earning a little bit of laughter from both Tina and Connor. While he was more than used to hearing Tina's laugh, they'd been friends for ages now, Connor's laugh was still relatively new to him. Before the revolution, Connor had rarely even smiled and when he did, it was only ever in an attempt to blend in. Now? Connor almost always seemed to be smiling or laughing. The deviant seemed to be just a generally happy person. Or android. Or... whatever. And it was this happiness that had prompted Connor to attempt to befriend Gavin, despite everything he had done or said to him in the past. Gavin had resisted these attempts for the longest time, silently writing Connor off as another android, as being just a piece of plastic and metal that could be ignored.

Then they got paired together on that awful case, and Gavin had been forced to come to terms with the fact that maybe that wasn't all Connor was. Wasn't all any android was... And maybe he had never truly seen them like that and had just told himself as such to keep from getting attached. To keep from feeling something about them. Especially after Chl...

He shook himself out of his reverie and waved goodbye to Tina and Connor, intent on getting home for the night before he got too deep into his own thoughts at the office. Better to do that in bed and stay up for hours at a time then fail to get work done and lower his performance. Not that he didn't already fail to get work done without the help of his mind running like a hamster on a wheel, but he figured he might as well try and avoid the worst of it.

Not a lot else he could do, with all the thoughts cluttering his mind these days.

Gavin spared one last glance back at his friends and caught Connor's eye. The android smiled warmly at him, and about a dozen new thoughts Gavin definitely didn't need immediately sprang into his head. He gave him a half-smile half-smirk in return and quickly headed out the door before he did something stupid.

It seemed that he was always just an inch away from doing something stupid when Connor was around these days. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone want to feel particularly sad today? No?
> 
> Oops.
> 
> Anyways, the backstory I promised, featuring Chloe, Elijah, and Gavin + their mother. Enjoy!

That particular September morning had dawned surprisingly sunny, given how cold the weather had been for the previous week or so. It was the perfect day to sit out on the porch and see how far you could throw the frisbee for the dog, watching his stubby little corgi legs rushing to keep up with the breeze as it propelled the frisbee across the wide lawn. The mountains rose in the distance, still their summer green, and the sun chased away any dark thoughts one might have.

Gavin watched the dog run back to the porch where he sat next to his older sister and delivered the frisbee into her lap, his "tail" wagging furiously as he waited for her to throw the frisbee again. Chloe obliged, watching it soar out into the blue skies as the corgi, who she had named Sir Fluffbutt, chased it once again, happy and content. Gavin leaned his head on his hand and tugged absently at the chords of his sweatshirt with the other. Despite the fact that it was a relatively warm day, the Wyoming air still hid a chill behind its breeze and bright sun, as told by the yellow on the trees and the clouds looming on the horizon, promising another storm within the week.

His reverie was interrupted by the sliding glass door opening and Sir Fluffbutt returning the frisbee again, this time dropping it in Gavin's lap. He smiled, showing braces that he was itching to get removed, and tossed the frisbee out into their spacious yard. And off Sir Fluffbutt went! He turned to see his brother, Elijah, standing just behind him and Chloe on the porch. He sat down on Gavin's other side and grinned at Chloe over his shoulder. She promptly flashed her perfect smile in return.

It was hard to believe, in moments like these, that the Reed household was anything but perfect. Made up of three kids, one of which was in College, and two in high school, and a single mother, things could get chaotic at times in the best of ways. Gavin's mother was a lawyer, and so she could afford to send Elijah, the oldest of the three and the only one with a different father, to a fancy private tech school on the east coast. She had offered to send Gavin and Chloe to private schools, but they had both told her they were more than happy in Public school. Though Chloe was nearly two years older than Gavin, you wouldn't be able to tell unless you asked or already knew their ages. They looked about the same age and got along so well you'd think they were twins. It was hard for Gavin to believe she was already 17, while he was still 15 and stuck with braces... Ugh.

They stayed outside for most of the afternoon, playing with Sir Fluffbutt, and throwing a football back and forth until their mother called them inside for dinner. Yeah, hard to believe that this family was unusual in any way.

A week later, however, the weather took a turn for the worse, bringing the first snow of the season unusually early and coating the roads with a layer of slush that made driving difficult at best, and dangerous at worse. It was hard for Gavin to believe that just a week before they'd been able to play catch and frisbee in the yard, and now he was wearing his snowboots and thick winter coat. Not that he hadn't protested this choice of outfit, but his mother had been firm that he was not showing up to school in gym shorts and a sweatshirt. Of course, the warm clothes were nice but did nothing to stave off the teasing he got from his classmates, and the usual bullying he suffered for various reasons. In fact, he was certain this might be making it worse.

He sighed in relief as the school bell rang, signaling the end of a long and painful day. He made his way to his locker, retrieving his backpack and coat, and stepped outside where Chloe was already waiting. She gave him a sympathetic smile as they set off towards her car. "Long day?"

"You have no idea..." Gavin grumbled, and she squeezed his shoulder.

"Hang in there, kid. You'll be out of High School before you know it!" She said, her attitude chipper and happy as always. Gavin felt his mood lift and opened the car door. Chloe started the engine and turned on the heat for both the car and seats. Gavin sighed happily and watched as they pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

Chloe turned on the radio to some old school Rock 'n Roll she knew Gavin liked and started up a conversation. They were within a mile from their house, and the light had just turned green, the other road of the intersection empty. Chloe had just pulled into the intersection when a truck unexpectedly skidded through the red light across from them and...

* * *

Black. All Gavin could see was black. He felt some sort of discomfort in his side, but he didn't register it as painful, just awkward. He managed to force his eyes open, and then all he could see were flashes of blue and red and cracked glass. He thought he heard screaming and shouting, but everything felt distant and blurred and... _wrong_. He couldn't move, couldn't tell what was going on, couldn't remember what had happened... and then he gave into the black again.

When he finally opened his eyes, everything was white and someone was holding his hand. His first thought was Chloe, as he blinked away the bright lights and focused on the room. He was in a hospital bed, with tubes coming from his arms and a paper-thin gown covering tight bandages along his side. He glanced to his side to see his mother sitting next to him, tightly gripping his hand with tears flowing down his cheeks. His brother stood next to him, dark circles under his eyes, which were red and puffy. He smiled a little bit when he saw that Gavin was awake.

"Hey kiddo, how're you doing?" Elijah asked, his voice unusually strained.

"I'm okay," Gavin said, but then frowned as he looked between his mother and brother. "Where's Chloe?"

His mother let out a sob, and Elijah swallowed hard.

"Chloe... didn't make it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a little bit of Connor being typical Connor... Adorable and slightly awkward! Also, made up Festival is made up, just wanted an excuse to write one ... In the next chapter because this is more characterization stuff and interaction. Consider this an apology for the last chapter. 
> 
> Writing Connor's dialogue in his usual speech patterns is a BITCH. So it probably sucks. Enjoy.

Connor glanced back down at the flier in his hand as he crossed the bullpen, frowning slightly, his LED whirring a bright yellow as he tried to process the information. It should have been clear as day; it was a sort of end-of-summer bash that the city of Detroit had been holding for the past 8 years or so that had been started by the city's mayor as a way to thank the citizens for a productive year and to reflect back on a simpler past. Cut and close right? Shouldn't have been even the tiniest problem for Connor's advanced processors. And yet... something was itching at him about it that didn't quite read right to him.

He approached the Lieutenant's desk, and hesitated, unsure of how he should get Hank's attention. Luckily for him, he didn't need to make some awkward maneuver, as Hank looked up at him with a rare smile.

"Ready to get some work done today, Connor?" he asked, his tone warm. It should be reassuring to Connor, and yet...

"Of course, Lieutenant. But I had an inquiry about something..." Connor asked, looking imploringly at the older officer, who gave a slight sigh.

"Inquire away," Hank said, waving a hand and waiting patiently for Connor to ask his question.

"This... festival coming up, for the changing of the season?" Connor began, tugging at his collar. "I was wondering what it entailed. None of the information I've pulled up has informed me of the specifics, just a general overview."

Hank grunted and leaned back in his chair, and Connor fidgeted nervously where he stood. "It's mostly street performers and food trucks and stuff. Lots of little market stalls and booths set up, live music in some spots and magic shows in others. It's meant to be a sort of celebration, a time to let loose before fall kicks in. Plus, brings in loads of tourists."

"I see..." Connor muttered, frowning, his LED still yellow. "However, some of the sources I found suggested that it was meant to be a romantic endeavor..."

Hank chuckled under his breath. "It can be. Lots of kids make a date out of it, but most people just go with a group of friends or family. It doesn't have to be romantic."

Connor just managed to hold back a sigh of relief and smiled warmly at the man as his LED spun blue. "Thank you for the information, Hank." He sat in his desk across from the Lieutenant and pulled up his terminal. "Now, let's see what Fowler's left us to work on today."

* * *

Connor followed dutifully behind Hank as they entered the man's house, stopping to take his shoes off at the door and pet Sumo as he came bounding up to greet them. The entire office had been talking about the festival, which was only two nights away. It seemed that many of them were taking time off, or trying to leave early in order to enjoy the festivities that would be waiting throughout the cities. According to Captain Fowler, it was nothing more than a few nights of trouble and extra patrols, but a lot of the officers, including Officer Tina, had seemed to think that it was a lot of fun, and their opinion helped Connor get excited about the time to come. He wondered if he could talk Fowler into letting him go as well, but he doubted it; the way the captain made it sound, they would need as many patrols as possible in the city. Nonetheless, Connor decided to keep his hopes up that he would be able to attend at least one night of the festival. 

He had noticed that one person (other than Fowler) had seemed rather unhappy about the days to come; Detective Reed. He wondered if one of the dates harbored bad memories for him, and that was why he tended to be surlier about the week approaching. He'd asked about it, but merely got a glare and a "nothing you need to worry about" which of course only succeeded in making Connor worry, whereas he wasn't before. He paused briefly, considering pressing the issue, but ultimately decided to let it go; he didn't want to cause tension between himself and Gavin, especially so soon after they had seemed to have finally resolved any previous tension they'd had. 

Connor said a brief goodnight to Hank and retreated to his bedroom, changing into comfortable clothes and settling back against the wall, listening to the sound of Hank moving in the next room. As he began to drift into stasis, he briefly reflected on what Hank had said earlier, about making a date out of the festival. 

Maybe he'd ask Gavin to go with him...


	4. Chapter 4

Gavin could not believe he was attending this stupid festival, in this stupid city, during this stupid month. It was... well... it was stupid! And yet, Connor had given him those big brown puppy eyes and he couldn't say no. Connor hadn't outright said that it was meant to be a date, but it was just the two of them. At a festival that was really well known for being fairly romantic. At any rate, Gavin couldn't work up the courage to ask him if that was his intent or if he'd just wanted to drag Gavin out because they were, for some reason, friends. Gavin couldn't deny that he would be pleased if this was meant to be romantic, but he couldn't imagine that anyone, even an android, would ever possibly be interested in him. Much less than one person he'd had a crush on for ages.

He felt like Connor had dragged him halfway across the city at this point, stopping to watch street performers and live music along the way, and continually looking back to make sure Gavin was following him, bouncing on his feet with a grin that seemed to light up the street better than any of the lights above them. And Gavin found himself smiling back almost every time, almost on instinct. It was incredibly difficult to be anything but happy when Connor was around, and for once Gavin was grateful. Being around the android and distracted by the festival around them kept his mind away from it's darkest corners, where it was so inclined to go this time of year. Especially given the rise in production and selling of androids becoming more and more common, and the ST and RT models still being incredibly popular, much to his dismay. Many years ago this would have come from some word from Elijah, which only helped exacerbate his anger and depression. Needless to say, September was typically miserable for him. But as of right now, he found it easier than ever to push away those thoughts and focus on the present, which was full of music and laughter and light, all of which seemed to come so easy around Connor.

He'd never enjoyed the festival before, never let himself enjoy it. Following the android through the streets, stopping to observe the stalls and occasionally buy something from one, should the whim strike one of them. The smell of fried food and alcohol seeped into the air around them, and it normally would've been unpleasant to Gavin, but it was easily ignored. Gavin was trying to put his effort into watching the crowds and entertainment, and yet his gaze seemed to drift back to the same spot each time. He'd been thinking it all night, but Connor was _radiant_. It wasn't like he was trying either, and it was entirely unfair. His hair wasn't gelled back the way it usually was and fell into his face in gentle curls, still parted on the side opposite of his LED, which was cycling a soft blue. He was wearing jeans, sneakers, and a blue flannel tugged on over top of a white tee shirt. Entirely normal clothes, and yet somehow Connor made them look twenty times better than they would have on anyone else. It made Gavin, in his faded jeans, combat boots, and [leather biker jacket](https://leatherbaba.com/stylish-knockout-leather-jacket), look dull and ordinary. And he was okay with that; he had never liked the attention, and Connor didn't even seem to notice the people who would stop to look at him. In fact, by some miracle from God above, Connor didn't seem to notice hardly anyone but Gavin, with the exception of the occasional entertainer or vendor. But not a single one of the other attendees around them caught Connor's eye; it was just Gavin. And Gavin didn't think he could look at anyone else right now, not when Connor was standing in front of him with that grin of his and his tussled hair that Gavin wanted to run his fingers through and...

He shook his head, trying to chase away those thoughts. Sure, he was here with Connor, alone, but that didn't mean it would go anywhere. It didn't mean that anything romantic would ever spring from a relationship that was purely platonic, and work-related, and... impossible. Especially given the incredibly rocky start to their relationship, back before the revolution, before Connor went deviant, before he'd even recognized those underlying feelings. Hard to believe that all that had happened in the space of a year, and- oh. They were stopping at a stall again.

Gavin stepped up next to Connor, who was examining a menu hanging above the android and human working side by side in the small space, as another android took orders. He flashed Connor a grin when he spotted him, and Connor gave him a little wave back before focusing on the menu again, then turning to Gavin.

"Have you eaten anything yet?" Connor asked, frowning a bit in concentration.

"Not yet, no. Been waiting till something that actually looks good comes around," Gavin grunted, turning to have a look at the menu himself.

The menu was split into two sides, one with food for humans, and one with (to Gavin's slight surprise) food for androids. Everything on the human side looked pretty good, but the grilled chicken sandwich was calling his name. He glanced over at Connor again, who was back to scanning the menu, likely the android side.

"Didn't know you could eat," Gavin said, and Connor looked back over.

"Only newer models can synthesize food. It's an integration made to help us fit in with humans better. But I'm one of the only models who can actually taste food; it's more of a formality than anything else." Connor muttered. "Did you find something you want?"

"Yeah, actually, I did," Gavin responded, and Connor reached for his wallet, but Gavin gently took his wrist and shook his head. "I've got it, don't worry."

He pulled out his wallet and ordered the chicken sandwich and a bottle of water for himself, and Connor ordered a pastry filled with some sort of frosting made from Thirium that had no business looking that bright a shade of blue. They wandered that area of the festival while they ate, and Gavin watched as Connor bit down on the pastry, wondering how it tasted, given that it was probably not edible. Not for humans, at least.

"What's it taste like?" Gavin asked.

Connor stopped to ponder the question, then said, "sweet, sugary. The Thirium itself doesn't have much of a flavor, but I suppose I'd describe it as citrusy. I personally really enjoy the sweeter taste, so it doesn't bother me."

Gavin couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face. "You've got a sweet tooth?"

Connor paused, swallowing another bite of pastry. "I... I suppose I do." He gave Gavin a slightly guilty grin.

Gavin chuckled softly, glancing up to meet Connor's eyes. He noticed that the deviant had a little bit of frosting on his cheek, and he leaned forward and gently swiped it off with his thumb, not really thinking about the motion... Until he pulled away and met Connor's eyes, suddenly all too aware of their proximity and the blue tint to Connor's cheeks that could only be described as blushing. He coughed and jumped back, looking at anything other than the android.

"Sorry, you uh... Had something on your face." Gavin muttered.

"Oh... Thank you." Connor responded, unusually quiet. Gavin turned and swiftly walked off through the festival, missing the disappointment on Connor's face.

As they made their way through the festival, the crowds began to thin, making it easier to get through. Before long, they came to a large lawn, where several people were sitting and chatting, looking up at the sky expectantly. Connor's face lit up, and Gavin raised an eyebrow in curiosity, following the android to an empty spot on the lawn, where they both sat and looked up at the night sky, dark with no visible stars, silent. Gavin looked back over at Connor, and asked, "Fireworks?"

Connor nodded, eyes bright. "I've only seen them once before! During the last independence day, at New Jericho. They're very pretty! And very loud. Sumo doesn't like them." Connor rambled on, moving his hands as he talked, but Gavin wasn't really listening. He was focused on the expression on Connor's face, the way his eyes shined in the dark, and the way his hair framed his face. And then the first firework went off, and Gavin glanced at it, but his gaze fell back to Connor and...

_Oh wow._

He could barely hear the fireworks, and he felt like his entire world had narrowed down to just him and Connor. The colors reflecting in his brown eyes, the expression of sheer joy on his face, the breeze mussing his hair, his slightly parted lips...

And then Connor turned to look at him and Gavin couldn't stop himself from leaning in and capturing those lips with his own, just as another firework went off. Connor made a soft noise of surprise and then he was kissing back, and wrapping his arms around him and Gavin couldn't breathe and everything was _perfect_.


End file.
